Organisers apologised for any inconvenience caused.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern requested confirmation from health officials that it was okay to continue with the March 15 national remembrance service in Christchurch on Sunday - and got the green light last night.
Thousands are expected to turn out for the memorial event which will now be held at Horncastle Arena in the city "due to wet weather forecast".
Organisers say they are following Ministry of Health guidance around coronavirus and public events, telling people if they are feeling unwell to stay at home. Anyone who has been in mainland China, Iran, northern Italy or the Republic of Korea, excluding airport transit, or anyone who has been in close contact with someone confirmed with Covid-19 in the last 14 days, to stay away from attending events.
The programme for Sunday's service, which starts at 3pm, has been put together with input from those most affected by the attacks, including survivors and families of the victims.
Students from Burnside High School and Cashmere High School – two schools most affected by the mosque attacks, with Cashmere losing two current students and a past student in the attacks, and one student from Burnside also died - will perform music at the service.
Local Muslim leaders, Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel and other dignitaries will also take part in the service, which will be jointly led by the local Muslim community, Christchurch City Council, the Government and Ngāi Tūāhuriri as mana whenua.
The full order of service and further details is yet to be finalised. The remembrance service will be livestreamed for people to view worldwide here.
Last week, some members of the Muslim community expressed displeasure, saying the service contradicted Islamic culture, which doesn't typically mark anniversaries.
But Al Noor Masjid imam Gamal Fouda this week said the events of March 15 were a "crime against humanity" and deserved to be treated as an exception to normal Islamic rules.
The memorial is an opportunity for New Zealanders to stand together against hate and hate speech, Fouda says.
Meanwhile, police have already increased patrols around Al Noor and Linwood mosques, and last week searched an address in relation to a threat against Al Noor mosque. A man was charged on an unrelated matter as police continued to gather evidence in relation to the Al Noor incident.
Security measures for the national remembrance service are under wraps for "operational reasons", police say.
At the national service two weeks after the shootings, snipers, armed police, specialist units and undercover officers were on high alert.
